Андрэ Нортон: Beast Master's Circus

Better yet, under bond she must be decently fed. Given respectable clothing. A bond-servant could not be summarily judged or too badly beaten. There were always those who'd use too clear evidence of abuse against the abuser. None of these things were hers in the camp; she'd be better off bonded.

She'd looked up innocently. "Yes, Honored Sir, the Noble Mercer can sell me if'n he wishes. I work hard an' I'm good with the beasts."

"You'll sign the bond?"

"I'll sign," Laris agreed. And she had. In front of an overstuffed pompous official, whom she guessed was collecting his share of the money. He'd attested that she appeared to be sixteen. Laris knew that for a lie, but she had to be sixteen for the bond so she signed where she was told and agreed when she was asked, that yes, she was sixteen years old.

After that she went with the two men to a building. She could feel her nerves tightening as they approached the door. It was possible that the talk of animals had been a trick. That Mercer had sold her for another purpose. But the smell as they entered reassured her, as did the animal sounds which rose in the rank air. Mercer led them to a cage at the back. He gestured at the inhabitant.

"Lereyne tigerbat. The brute's gone into a decline and I paid high. Get in there and rouse it, make it eat."

Laris sucked in a silent breath and bit down on a grin. The tigerbat had a very nasty reputation on its home world which was quite justified. Tigerbat swarms had stripped humans to the bone in minutes, even through reinforced clothing. In swarm, the beasts had no fear and would continue the attack despite heavy losses. Lereyne settlers had almost wiped them out over three generations and now they were seldom seen, although the stories remained.

But somewhere along the line, she didn't quite recall where or when, she'd learned to read. Old Plaistrin had owned quite a library on other-world beasts. He'd loved to talk too, and he'd been both fond of his merchandise and knowledgeable. She'd read and listened, soaked up everything she could. She knew something about the tigerbats. She glanced around. The two men shifted to block her path and she snorted.

"I'm not trying to run. I want a brush."

Dedran looked blank. "A brush? What kind of brush?"

"A grooming brush," Laris snapped. She saw one tossed on the top of another cage and reached. Dedran allowed it. With the brush secured she turned back and looked at the door.

"Am I supposed to walk through plasteel bars or something?"

Dedran's look halted Mercer even as he snarled and drew back his fist. "No, I want to see this. If she's as good as she thinks she is I want her in one piece."

He swung the door open and his eyes were amused. "In you go, Gracious Lady. You leave once that brute has eaten—you or its food, I don't much care which."

Laris ignored him, stepping quietly toward the huddled animal. It whimpered quietly in its sleep. Tigerbats were swarm animals. To keep one alone was to watch it die of loneliness, something Dedran appeared to be unaware of. Moving slowly and quietly Laris swept the brush down the matted fur. She worked gently, untangling the long pelt, grooming until the tigerbat lifted its head to stare at her. Then she took up a piece of the meat. The tigerbat opened its mouth, revealing the massive fangs within. But the feeling it gave off to her was one of pleasure. One had come to relieve its solitary state. One who groomed the matted fur as a swarm member should.

As the men waited she fed the animal until it had eaten enough. She knew she must not overfeed one which had not eaten well in too long. She returned to the grooming while the tigerbat lay there blinking blissfully. When she stood it moved to cling to the bars, wings furled over its narrow shoulders. Yellow eyes watched her hopefully.

She patted it. "Don't worry. I'll be back, I think." Dedran nodded at her before turning to Mercer. He counted out credits into the camp boss's eager palm.

"She'll do."

The camp boss hurried away, leaving Dedran to look at Laris. "You know animals, it seems. What else do you know?"

"I can read an' write," Laris told him, watching his surprise. "I work hard. And I can keep my mouth shut an' my eyes an' ears open."

Dedran grinned briefly, a mere twist of his thin lips. "Then you may do well here. What do you read?"

"Books about animals. So's I can learn more about them."

He nodded thoughtfully. "I've got no objections to that. Do your work and when it's done you can access the library."

Dedran had been as good as his word. In the last four years Laris had read freely, more freely than her master had known. There were ways to earn a credit or two as the circus traveled. And ways on-planet to untraceably access information once one had those credits. With the war over, Dedran had purchased an old cargo ship, packed his beasts and staff within, and upped ship. Laris guessed he had other reasons beyond the claimed one of bringing entertainment to the human-settled planets. Sometimes they stopped so briefly they could manage only a handful of sold-out shows. Clearly they could have stayed at a profit, but they moved on. At other times they played to half-or quarter-filled houses and must have lost money, but they remained several weeks. It wasn't a large circus. There were some thirty beasts, many which were no bigger than a Terran dog. In fact, they had two of those who did an act with two Trastorian carra. Later the carra did a clown act with their trainer and the dogs often joined that as well.

Dedran saw to it that mostly the animals were decently fed, housed, and well-treated. On her own initiative Laris had taught herself and the carra a trapeze act. Dedran had been pleased with that and her hard work, so he rarely struck her. He wasn't as kind to the forty or so people who worked for him. Often they left when and as they could, and were quickly replaced. Some seemed merely to vanish with no prior word of their intent to depart.

Laris had swiftly seen that some of those who left were the ones who talked too much, who nosed into Dedran's business. But not always. Once they began to travel there were frequently people who'd do anything to escape their world. Dedran would take them on, for a trip to the next. By that time they had to have worked out a dangerous act to perform. On the new world they would be expected to appear twice a day. Most took too many risks and died or were crippled. They would be left behind when the circus moved on.

But it was good business. The crowds came to watch someone die. Dedran took them on without pay until they had proved themselves. There were always two or three on the ship working hard between planets to earn a place. Over four years many of his staff had come and gone. Some others left because they would not bow to Dedran's blows. Laris had no option in that, so she remained. But the blows weren't that regular, and the food was good, the provided clothing respectable. The girl had grown and filled out. Still others came and went and she made no real friends. Laris knew only one other who'd been there longer than she. That one approached her now.

"Did we lose it?" His foot stirred the stiffening body.

Her voice was steady. "Of course. It was too damaged to survive."

"Yes. A pity. We needed it."

Neither said more but both understood that the damage mentioned had not been that to body alone. He took a container from his pocket and drank. The scent of oranges drifted to her; Laris kept silent. If Cregar wanted to preserve himself in Naranje that was his decision. Dedran never seemed to care. And for all he drank—and it was a lot—Cregar never became less than stolidly taciturn before others.

Once she'd tried to talk to him. She'd been with Dedran only a few months, and watching Cregar she'd guessed he'd had training with animals. She'd asked about it and he'd turned to look at her, a terrible stare compounded of such rage and pain she'd never asked again. Over the years she'd watched him and wondered. He seemed to have no connection with beasts, no desire to touch or love, yet he knew the way they thought and would react. He was capable of training them to do things which appeared impossible.